Since Diageo discontinued Baileys Almande, also known as the vegan Baileys, in 2021, your only chance to enjoy it is to make it at home with this quick and easy recipe. All you need to do is mix Irish whiskey, coffee, almond milk, cane sugar, and a bit of vanilla and cocoa powder. It is better than the original. Look at the comments.
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It’s Emese, and I love Baileys! I don’t drink much alcohol, but if I had to choose just one of all alcoholic drinks, I would select Baileys. I even toasted with it at our wedding. 🙂 Also, my husband explicitly asked me to mention that he strongly prefers wine or beer. 🙂
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Is Baileys vegan?
The original Baileys is digestive to serve before dinner or toast with. It is one of the most popular spirits in Europe. It has many variations, including limited edition flavors, but sadly none of them are vegan.
In 2017, Diageo saw a potential demand and created Baileys Almande, its first and only vegan product. Sadly, vegan Baileys was only on the market until 2021. Now, you either find a similar brand like Besos de Oro or Horchata or make a homemade version.
Diageo did not disclose the complete list of ingredients either on the packaging or on its website. They only say that Almande Liquor is gluten- and dairy-free but may contain soy. We only know some of its ingredients:
- Real almond milk, which is made of sweet almond oil and almond essence (extracted from crushed almonds)
- Cane sugar
- Purified water
- Real vanilla
- Coffee, and
- Irish whiskey
If you are debating whether you need homemade vegan Baileys in your life, these are the reasons you should consider:
- Discontinued – It was pretty pricey, so it was cheaper to make at home than buy. But since it is not available anymore, the purchase price is not an issue per se.
- Bad reviews – Many people love it, but the reviews were not very flattering. People were talking about experiencing a bitter aftertaste (which may be due to the almond essence). They also said that it tasted artificial. Some found the smell off-putting.
- Homemade vs. Store-bought beverages – When making anything at home, you will know exactly what you put in it.
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Ingredients
We developed this recipe to create the best copycat vegan Irish cream liquor. The comments tell us that we succeeded.
- Almond milk
- Jameson Irish whiskey
- Espresso (strong to medium)
- Cane sugar – Because it is also the sweetener used for Baileys Almande. You can also use coconut sugar, which adds a nice caramel flavor. It will be subtle but delicious indeed.
- Cocoa powder – Because The Original Baileys Irish Cream contains chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla extract
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Make a strong-quality coffee
We have a neat little Nespresso Citiz & Milk machine*, which we bought after our first daughter was born. We are still loving it. For this recipe, we made an espresso using a Nespresso capsule called Arpeggio*. It has a strong to medium intensity.
Blend to make vegan Baileys
It is only one step. You can use a whisk and stir it until the sugar dissolves. But I prefer to add all ingredients to a blender and mix them thoroughly. You don’t need a high-powered blender like Vitamix since there are no hard ingredients like ice. 2 minutes, and you are ready.
How to drink it
This vegan Irish cream liqueur is best served on the rocks. 🙂
I found these lovely heart-shaped chocolate molds* to make cranberry jelly. But aren’t they also perfect for ice cubes? My glass got a tiny bit more awesome.
If you like to mix it up, you can add this homemade vegan version to other drinks like:
- Coffee-based drinks, e.g., iced coffee, hot coffee, or latte macchiato
- Other beverages, e.g., chai latte, milkshake, or hot chocolate
- Cocktails, e.g., Eggnog, Mudslide, Martini, B-52, or Jello Shots
- Turn it into a boozy hot chocolate gift
Here is a list of cocktails and mocktails using Baileys. Sadly, only some of them are vegan, but it is an excellent start to getting inspired.
FAQs and substitutions
Can you use other dairy-free milk?
- Cashew milk – Almond milk can have a more pungent, nutty taste than cashew milk. If you want to tone it down, use this homemade cashew milk recipe.
- Full-fat coconut milk – It could be a substitute for adding a more decadent creaminess like heavy cream. If you use that in combination with nut milk, boil it before adding the alcohol. Otherwise, the full-fat coconut cream will solidify when you put it in the fridge and can compromise the texture. It would be best to double the vanilla extract to overpower the coconut taste.
- Soy milk – You can also try soy milk, which is not as thin as nut milk. I’m not too fond of the taste, but it can be an alternative for you.
How long does it last?
Keep it in the fridge for around 4-5 days, a maximum of a week.
What kind of coffee should you use?
You can use any other cold-brewed, capsule coffee or instant espresso powder. But choose at least a medium one in intensity. Otherwise, you might not be able to taste the coffee.
Want some cookies with it?
We have numerous vegan cookie recipes you might enjoy with homemade vegan Baileys.
THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.
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Copycat Vegan Baileys (Almande Liqueur)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Irish whiskey 1 fl oz
- 1 shot Espresso 1.35 fl oz
- 1 + ⅔ cup Almond milk 13.5 fl oz
- ½ cup Cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Cocoa powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and mix for a couple of minutes.
- Serve chilled on the rocks. Shake well before serving. Store in fridge.
Notes
Can you use other dairy-free milk?
- Cashew milk – Almond milk can have a more pungent, nutty taste than cashew milk. If you want to tone it down, use this cashew milk recipe.
- Full-fat coconut milk – It could be a substitute for adding a more decadent texture like heavy cream. If you use that in combination with nut milk, boil it before adding the alcohol. Otherwise, the full-fat coconut milk will solidify when you put it in the fridge and can compromise the texture. It would be best to double the vanilla extract to overpower the coconut taste.
- Soy milk – You can also try soy milk, which is not as thin as nut milk. I’m not too fond of the taste, but it can be an alternative for you.
Elisa
At last a vegan Baileys recipe without coconut milk! I’ve made the coconut version and as soon as it cools or you add ice is starts to solidify and is gross to drink. I can’t wait to try this one ( :
Emese
Hi Elisa, let us know how it goes.
Stephanie
This was fantastic! I had everything on hand and it was made in less than 5 minutes. A keeper for sure!
Mark Vitelli
is it only refridgerate after opening? I wish to give as a gift but how long will it last in the sealed bottle without refridgertion?
My Pure Plants
Hi Mark,
Yes, it has to be kept in a fridge to last long. If you want to give it to a gift, you can have it on room temperature for a couple of hours provided it is not a hot summer day though. Alcohol helps to preserve it and there is no real dairy to go bad quickly. So it should be fine.
Kim
Would this be as good using coconut sugar? Thanks!
My Pure Plants
Yes it would be delicious with coconut sugar, it might only be a little darker. Not that would be a large problem. 🙂
Ornia
Has anyone tried with monkfruit instead of cane sugar?
My Pure Plants
We haven’t sadly, but we would be curious too.
Susan
Love your recipe, I made similar a month ago using Almond Cooking milk to simulate “cream”. We don’t drink it enough to warrant the mason jar i filled with the similar recipe. I will try yours next time but make very little. Mine is almost a month old now and I guess I should throw it out. I hate too…but oh well, better safe than sorry I suppose.
My Pure Plants
Almond cooking cream sounds like a great addition. Where I live I only ever see rice and soy cooking cream. Let us know how you like our version when you do make it.
Florence
I would like to know for how long can you keep it in the fridge?
My Pure Plants
As long as you would keep the milk you make it from. I would say 7-10 days tops.
Marva
Just made the Irish cream. Simply delicious !
Plan on giving a few for gifts. ?
My Pure Plants
We are so glad to hear this! We love homemade gift giving as well.
Evans
It looks so delicious. Can’t wait to try it out!
Alyssa Marie
Baileys is one of my favorites! This recipe looks so easy and so much healthier and cheaper than buying regular Baileys! Definitely going to give it a try!
Ayushi
This looks so delicious and easy to make, I’m definitely going to give it a try 🙂